by Melissa
Part 27. The fall of Icarus.
The sun was setting behind the gothic spires of Elmwood Academy, casting long, skeletal shadows across the marble floor of the reception hall. Agnès - the receptionist - sat hunched over her desk, the glow of the monitor washing out her tired features. The building was quiet, but the silence felt heavy, pregnant with the secrets she was forced to guard.
When the phone rang, the sharp electronic trill made Agnès jump. She checked the caller ID. Miss Delgado, Melissa's lawyer.
There was a heavy sigh on the other end. "I've been in touch with the International Space Agency. It's bad news, Agnès. Melissa's parents are currently part of the crew of an isolated Mars simulation mission in the heart of Antarctica. They are in the 'Deep Isolation' phase - a total blackout. zero external communication, no exceptions, no emergency override. For the next five months, they might as well be on the red planet itself. The mission protocols are ironclad, they are in a simulated vacuum."
Agnès felt a cold lump form in her stomach. "Five months? There must be a faster way for Melissa to prove her identity."
"Listen to the rest," Miss Delgado interrupted. "The Agency has DNA profiles for every participant on file for medical emergencies. If we could compare those samples to Melissa, we could prove she is their biological daughter and end this charade in an hour. But there is a massive legal wall. Under privacy statutes, the Agency cannot release or compare those samples without the express written consent of the subjects or, in their absence, a direct legal descendant. And currently, Agnès, the judicial system - backed by Elmwood's own biometric data - recognizes the imposter as the only legal descendant. As long as that girl occupies Melissa's life, she is the only person on Earth who can legally authorize the DNA test that would expose her. It's a perfect, closed loop."
